old way.

"These men should be held to the civil authorities for trial in this
county, and not set free," Macdonald protested, indignant over the
order.

Major King ignored him. He was still looking at Chadron, who was
almost choking on his rage.

"Hell! Do you mean to tell me the whole damn thing's goin' to fizzle
out this way, King? I want something done, I tell you--I want
something done! I didn't bring you up here--"

"Certainly not, sir!" snapped King.

"My orders to you--" Chadron flared.

"It happens that I am not marching under your orders at--"

"The hell you ain't!" Chadron exploded.

"It's an outrage on humanity to turn those scoundrels loose, Major
King!" Neel said. "Why, I've got signed statements, I tell you--"

"Remove this man to the rear!" Major King addressed a lieutenant, who
communicated the order to the next lowest in rank immediately at hand,
who passed it on to two troopers, who came forward briskly and rode
the protesting correspondent off between them.

Other troopers were collecting the arms of the homesteaders, a
proceeding which Macdonald witnessed with a sick heart. Frances,
sitting her horse in silence through all that had passed, gave him
what comfort and hope she could express with her eyes.

"Detail a patrol of twenty men," Major King continued his instructions
to his officer, "to keep the roads and disarm all individuals and
bands encountered."

"That don't apply to my men!" declared Chadron, positively. In his
face there was a dark threat of disaster for Major King's future hopes
of advancement.

"It applies to everybody as they come," said King. "Troops have come
in here to restore order, and order will be restored."

Chadron was gaping in amazement. That feeling in him seemed to smother
every other, even his hot rage against King for this sudden shifting
of their plans and complete overthrow of the cattlemen's expectations
of the troops. The one little comfort that he was to get out of the
expedition was that of seeing his raiders taken out of Macdonald's
hands and marched off to be set free.

Macdonald felt that he understood the change in King. The major had
come there full of the intention of doing Chadron's will; he had not a
doubt of that. But murder, even with the faint color of excuse that
they would have contrived to give it, could not be done in the eyes of
such a witness as Frances Landcraft. Subserviency, a bending of
dignity even, could not be stooped